There are a number of changes in the new NSF Grant Proposal Guide (effective for proposal to be submitted on or after Jan. 25, 2016). For example:

Chapter II.C.1.e, Collaborators & Other Affiliations Information, is a new single-copy document that requires each senior project personnel to provide information regarding collaborators and other affiliations. This information used to be provided as part of the Biographical Sketch. The new format no longer requires proposers to identify the total number of collaborators and other affiliations when providing this information.

Chapter II.C.2.f, Biographical Sketch(es), has been supplemented to inform proposers that they may use third-party solutions to develop their biographical sketch, however, the information they submit must be compliant with NSF proposal preparation requirements. In addition, it is no longer allowable for the biographical sketches of all senior personnel to be grouped together in a single PDF file. Biographical sketches must now be uploaded separately for each individual identified on the proposal as senior personnel. Biographical sketches for Other Personnel and for Equipment proposals (Chapter II.C.2.f(ii) and (iii) respectively), however, should be uploaded as a single PDF file in the Other Supplementary Documents section of the proposal.

Chapter II.C.2.h, Current and Pending Support, has been revised to reflect that all current project support should be listed in this section of the proposal, including internal funds allocated toward specific projects. It is no longer allowable for the current and pending support of all senior personnel to be grouped together in a single PDF file. Current and pending support must now be uploaded separately for each individual identified on the proposal as senior personnel.

Chapter II.C.2.b, Project Summary, has been modified to remind proposers that only Project Summaries that use special characters may be uploaded in the Supplementary Documents section. Such Project Summaries must contain separate headings for Overview, Intellectual Merit and Broader Impacts or the proposal will be returned without review.﻿

Chapter VI.B.5, Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC), is an entirely new section and serves, in conjunction with coverage in the GPG, as NSF’s implementation of the US Government Policy for Institutional Oversight of Life Sciences Dual Use Research of Concern.